Paradise Place


Net for Newbies - Security.


There is a many scare stories when it comes to security and the net, however there are some real issues you should be aware of.

Viruses

Computer viruses are not new or unique to the Internet, however the emergence of a large global network, which the Internet is has made it easier for viruses to be passed on. I am not going to go into great detail as to the nature of viruses, except to say in there very simplest form they are programs that have been written to replicate themselves, however some are designed to do damage. The best way to protect yourself is to invest in a good anti-virus package and keep its virus definition/signature file,(which contains the data it uses to identify virus); up to date. I would recommend Norton anti-virus as the virus definition/signature updates are free.

Norton Symantec UK
Norton Symantec US

There are many other good anti-virus programs available, make sure when you choose one you can obtain regular signature updates. If you are err... too financially challenged, to purchase a complete anti-virus solution and you use a PC running windows or DOS, then you should at least get a copy of F-Prot a very powerful anti-virus program, the DOS version of which is free.
To protect yourself from the threat of viruses, you should follow these simply rules:

  1. Never run/open an attachment from mail or news without first scanning it with and up to date AV program.
  2. Never run/open an attachment from mail or news if you don't no what it will do.
  3. Always scan downloaded executables before you run them.
  4. Be careful what you download and where you download it from.
  5. Keep your anti-virus software up to date.
  6. Scan your whole system regularly, at least once per month.


Shopping Online

Yes it is both safe and fun to shop online, but there are some issues you should understand. When you fill in a form on a web site and submit it, the information you have submitted has to travel across many systems before it arrives at it's destination. It is in theory possible for someone to intercept and read this information, if your just filling in a questionnaire this isn't a problem, but if you are sending your credit card details it could be. To solve this problem modern web browsers have build in encryption that when used in conjunction with encryption software on the web server, renders the information unreadable to anyone who might intercept it. So if you buy online you must make sure the site supports secure transactions, if you get to the point where you submit your credit card details and the system hasn't switch to a secure connection,(your browser should tell you, and in addition the broken padlock in Netscape becomes a closed one, and in Explorer a padlock appears); you should 'walk away', and maybe mail them and ask them about there security. The encryption is carried out using an encryption 'key' the larger the key the more secure the encryption. US and Canadian citizens get strong 128 bit encryption, however because the US classes this technology as a weapon, the rest of the world gets the weaker 40 bit encryption. To see a secure connection in action and check your encryption strength go to
Fortify
If you are then dissatisfied with only having 40 Bit Encryption >:o) or want to know more about date encryption go to
Replay.com

Finally now you feel safe to shop you'll want to know how much the stuff costs?
So you'll be needing a currency converter!

Privacy on the web

When you surf the web, you anonymous no one can see what you view or who you are right? Wrong! When you use the Internet, the web in particular there are all sorts of technologies trying to track you. You may say, well I don't do anything dodgy on the net why should I care, you should care because the people trying the hardest to gather information are advertising types who want to know who you are so they can better part you from your money. There's not that much you can do about it, but you should be aware that it happens, for instance if you find a site via a search engine that site can see not only what site you've come from, the referring site, but the search parameters you typed in. They know your ISP, the IP address you have been assigned,(though this will normally differ every time you connect), and the browser/platform you are using. See the Junkbusters site for more information.

The Kids on the net.

If you have young children, the Internet is a great source of information for them, a great learning tool. Unfortunately it also is a great source for pornography, foul language, and everything else you would want to protect your children from in the real world. You should not believe the hysteria in the press, the Internet is too good, to deprive your kids of access to it. However you should bear in mind it does contain some unsuitable content, an the best way to protect your kids is through supervision! be there when they use the net, you can also also use software to limit their access, such as CyberPatrol remember these programs are not infallible.